 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2005-04-15 01:27
At least that's what my orchestra director keeps saying to me. He's constantly on me to play louder. I'm not sure what else I can do. I play on a Buffet International Bb (or Buffet LP A, depending on the piece) w/ a Selmer C85 115 mouthpiece and a VanDoren Optimum ligature. I'm going to do some experimentation with a 5RV mouthpiece and a Moennig barrel (provided I win auctions for them), to see if that helps. I play on VanDoren 3 1/2 reeds also. I blow until I'm red in the face and he says I must be 2x as loud. I don't know if he'll remove me from my position as principal cuz I can't project.
Any suggestions? I'm all ready for them.
Thanks.
Rachel
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Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
Post Edited (2005-04-15 01:30)
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2005-04-15 02:42
I would suggest that dynamics in an orchestral setting are quite situational. When does the conductor say you need to play louder? Solo passages with strings? When you are duetting with a horn or an oboe? Full woodwind passages? When you are doubling the strings and the conductor wants your "color"? (about the solos with strings, there is nothing I appreciate more than a conductor asking the strings to play softly when I have a solo that is marked at a softer dynamic)
Keep in mind also that when playing in a large ensemble in a large room, there is a strong need for intensity, no matter what the dynamic level is.
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Author: graham
Date: 2005-04-15 07:37
All good stuff above. Try going with brighter more cutting reeds (just for this situation). Try Australia Vintage for example. I don't know anything about the Selmer mouthpiece but the 5RV sounds likely to be too subtle. Try out a B40 or B45. A 1.2 mm tip opening (or more) may unleash more power, though will tire the lips in the short term.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-04-15 12:34
The problem may be the mp/reed combination. If it were me I'd switch to 2 1/2 vd or 2 3/4 Gonzalez and a Pyny polycrystal mp.
Bob Draznik
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2005-04-15 13:23
Clarinetwife:
It's mostly in solo passages, but overall he wants more sound too. And we're even doubling 2 on a part. You'd think 4 clarinetists would be strong enough.
Rachel
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Author: William
Date: 2005-04-15 14:20
On the other hand, the problem might be with your orchestral directors concept of ensemble sound. Often, the young or inexperianced conductor will try to acheive that "big" sound by encouraging everyone to simply play louder, thinking that loudest is best. What they fail to realize is the old saying, "Less is More". In other words, ensemble balance with good individual sounds and impeccable intonation more important in achieveing the "big sound" than the amplitude used in performance. This is a more complex issue, but the bottom line is: playing louder is not the answer to sounding bigger (or better).
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Author: clarisax
Date: 2005-04-15 21:51
i have this problem in band, but im the ONLY first clarinet going up against 3 trumpet parts and 3 trombone parts...with usually more than one person on a part. in orchestra ive never been told to play louder...the strings are always just told to listen for me and make sure they can hear me clearly at certain spots. maybe the orchestra is just playing too loud?
one thing that did help with my projection however was practicing with softer reeds until i sounded good. i could project easier with soft reeds and overall my tone has only gotten better. you dont have to be using super hard reeds to have a dark sound. i dont get as tired as i used to and overall i sound sooo much better. before i used size 5 vandorens but now i use 4.5 and it really does make a huge difference, at least for me.
you also have to make sure that your throat is open and your tongue is high.
if you dont "breath from your stomach" your breaths will be shallow and weak...this leads to tension which then leads to a closed throat, bighting of the reed, and a poor thin sound. i find that when i want to play loudly i have to relax, take a deep full breath, and have a nice rounded embouchure. then you just have to support the tone by having a fast, steady air stream.
i honestly think that mouthpieces and equipment really do make a huge difference. i use a morgan mouthpiece and a festival clarinet.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-04-16 12:49
You could get one of the "power barrels" that the Doctor Products sells. They advertise on this site.
Make sure that your reed is not too hard nor too soft as each will affect your volume greatly.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-04-16 13:17
I echo D B's post re: the Golden-Henderson Power Barrel [is this OK, MC/GBK?] as a possible solution, visit their web-site. I recalled an article in a recent ICA Journal by Dr. Reeves, USD, Historically Speaking series, dated Sept. 2004, pg 36-7, a review of barrel design over many years. Also as mentioned in the "Power Barrel" thread, an older US Patent on a "keyed clarinet barrel" # 3,844,193 to J Marchi of France [search clarinet AND barrel on USPTO], and solicit comments from those interested. [another D B ! ], Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-04-16 14:31
Just as an example: I recently acquired and installed a el cheapo Vito mp on my R13 resulting in significantly louder sound than using the Pyne polycrystal. Louder is not necessarily better quality, however. I know that the roof of the Vito curves downward more sharply than the Pyne. No measurements.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2005-04-16 16:37
For what it's worth, I'd try switching to a different brand of reed before I switched barrels or mp's; it's a lot cheaper. I've found Rico and Rico Royal reeds to be much louder than Vandoren, (though I don't care for their sound.)
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Author: ken
Date: 2005-04-17 16:59
Ken Shaw wrote: "briefly, it involves holding the clarinet almost vertical, laying the reed along the outside of your lower lip rather than over it, taking lots of reed, using medium soft reeds and blowing very hard."
--Geez Ken, maybe it's me but that sounds like incredibly radical stuff, he must've been forced to do such things only in rare circumstances. If he had to regularly resort to such extreme measures and contortions just to balance and/or carry the melody or a solo there's something fundamentally wrong --- the only thing left is to stand on his chair.
Throughout his inestimable performing career in Philly Orchestra, to Cleveland, CBS and NBC Orchestras, I find it hard to believe he had those kinds of projection issues, not alone any --- the ensemble volume level had to have been blistering loud and out of control. v/r Ken
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Author: RosewoodClarinet
Date: 2005-04-18 02:58
I am very interested about Bonade's playing and his teaching style. Looking forward to reading Ken Shaw's post in a day or two!!
RosewoodClarinet
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-04-18 18:27
Much, MUCH more on this coming this afternoon or tomorrow. If Bonade and Marcellus (and also Bernard Portnoy) played this way, it can't be all bad.
Ken Shaw
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